Winter's End

I loved this film. Mysteries are my favorite venue; I have all the English ones; Morse, Frost, Poirot, PDJames, Christie, Midsomer Murders, Alleyn, etc. and all of the Irish movies I can find. I loved the lighting in this film, the quiet yet intense suspense, and the purity of the filming which concentrates solely upon the characters and the situation. There are no gimmicks, flashbacks, or any device which detracts from the story. The intensity builds based upon the strong acting of the deranged brother and his emotionally blackmailed sister. As in the film "The Field", his monomaniacal, yet historically understandable, love of his land leads to the conclusion.

From the opening shot there's a sense of expectancy in this film by Patrick Kenny.The bleak setting of an solitary farmhouse silhouetted against a cold sky conveys the loneliness and isolation of the place,and indeed of those living within it.It conjured up images of JB Keanes theatre and the sometimes wretched lives of the forgotten souls in deepest rural Ireland. Henry is a desperate man,teetering on the edge of sanity,alone and angry.When a young outsider unwittingly parks his car on Henry's land he finds himself very quickly hurled in to Henry's warped parallel universe. Henry is well played by Michael Crowley,who's character walks a solitary path on the edges of insanity. The plot twists and turns well to keep any viewer guessing. The rural setting is perfect and holds us hostage in Henry's dangerous kingdom, add to this an incredible,award winning soundtrack to take the audience on an uncomfortable,dark journey. A strong and clever story,well written,well cast all round and thoughtfully directed. Patrick Kenny can be very pleased indeed with this work

Winter's End is a Stylish Low Budget Thriller which I saw at this year's Galway Film Fleadh. It is a cross between " Misery " and " The Field ". Winter's End tells the story of Amy Rose live on a farm with her two brothers Henry and Sean and we follow Amy's progress from abuse and oppression at the hands of her older brother Henry, to independence and freedom. The acting, cinematography, music editing and directing are all of a very high standard. It has been recently nominated for two Irish Film and Television Awards (www.ifta.ie) in Best Actress for Jillian Bradbury and Best Music for Gregory Magee in a Feature Film. Definitely worth a viewing.

Why the high reviews for this film? This film is almost impossible to watch. It is gruesome, ridiculous, violent, and ignorant. It is also very poorly made with no cinematic qualities of interest - not acting, cinematography, editing, well, or anything worthy at all! What in the world are people finding of value here? It is not entertaining, not interesting, borderline laughable, with no message or point of view. How can viewers give it high ratings? Are the ratings all from people with money interest in the movie?

Yes, it's messy. Yes, it's divisive. But calling it "ignorant" misses the mark. There's clearly thought behind the chaos-commentary on morality, faith, and madness running beneath the surface. This is the kind of film that rewards a second look. It isn't trying to please the mainstream, and while the execution may fall short at times, the ambition is undeniable. The cinematography might not be perfect, but it creates a mood. And the editing choices, while jarring, evoke disorientation for a reason. For what it is, it's more successful than it gets credit for. It challenges you to sit with discomfort, not escape it.